Improvement in stock-cars



` 2 Sheets-Sheen@ W. C.`WHITHAM 8v CIC. SCHNEIDER. Stock-Car.l

|\1 ;211,o172.y Patented Dec. 11, 1813.

A y WITNESSES I l v" "'R i?? .M'NENT'OQZ ATTORNEY- N. PETERS, PMOTOUTOGHAPHEE WASHINGTON. D4 CI UNITED STATES PATE-NT anion WILLIAM C. WHITHAM AND CHARLES GQSGHNEIDER, OF BELMONT, WIS.

IMPROVEMENT `IN STOCK-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. `211,072, dated December 17., 1878; application filed i June l, 1878. y i

To all'fwhom it 'may concern Beit known that we, WILLIAM C. WHIT- HAM l and CHARLES C. SGHNELDER, of Belmont, in the county of La Fayette and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Stock-Cars; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is arepresentation of a side view of our improved stock-car. Fig. 2is a horizontal section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections thereof;

` and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,.,and 1() are details.

This invention .has for its object the improvement of stock-cars.

The nature of the invention consists in combinin g with a stock-car and Vits hinged scctional door, intermediate the roof and bottom thereof, transverse sills, and vibrating stirrups upon the inside of the car, with which the ends of the said sills are engaged, whereby the said intermediate iioor is provided with adequate support, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designatesan ordinary stock-car framed together in the usual manner, and having slatted sides and ends, if desired. At each side of the door B-thatis, at the middle of the car, and about midway of its height-are hinged, so as to vibrate vertically, the intermediate floor-sections C, each reaching half -way across the car. When these sections are vibrated downward they extend' completely across the car and ioor over the ends thereof, leaving the space between the door-posts open. The sections G are composed of a number of sub-sections, a, hinged together and capable of being folded over upon each other.

The second floor is supported by the sills D,

extending across the car, and having their ends engaged in vibrating stirrups E, straddling the uprights F of the frame. The sills D are notched at their ends, as shown at b, and the stirrups engage said notches, the said stirrups being thus prevented from slipping ott' the .ends of the sills and allowing them to fall.

The uprights F are also notched, as shown at c, in order that the stirrups may swing in bev low the second floor, which beams are centrally notched to receive a sill, D. The space between the end sections C G of the second door is bridged by the sections J, composed likewise of the sub-sections e, hinged together, and extending, when in the horizontal position, entirely across the car. The floorsections J are supported by the sill D', as shown in Fig. l. p

Thesection e at each side of the car next the door is notched at its ends to receive the rods G, so that, the other section being iirst folded up upon it, they may be raised bodily to the roof of the car. This being accomplished, a hook, f, upon the car is engaged with an eye, f', upon the section, and the sec tion J is prevented from descending..

The sill D is then detached from the beams H, and the latter disengaged from the supports d, leaving the space between the doors open.

The end sections C are then swung up against the sides of the car, either folded or extended, according as it is desired to admit or exclude air, and locked thereto by a hook, g, or by'a lashing. The sills D are th en slightly raised and the stirrups vibrated back into the notches b out of the way.` The former are then placed, along with the beams H and sills D', in a species of rack composed each of two hangers', j, at the top of the car, thus leaving the entire body of the car empty for the reception of large stock, lumber, or other freight.

By reversing the steps above set forth the car is divided into an upper and alower story of sufficient height for small stock.

Itwill be observed thatall the essential part-s for effecting this change are a part of the car equipment, and accompanying it wherever it` goes, and that there being a rack for the reception of the sills, and the Hoor-sections being hinged to the car-sides, there is but little lia bility of their getting misplaced or out of order.

After the sills are removedhand the stirrups engaged in their notches the end floor-sections may be swung down instead of up, thus leaving the upper part of the car entirely open, and serving as a guard to prevent cattle from getting their legs through the slats at the sides of the car.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination7 With a stock-car and its hinged licor-sections, C a, intermediate the floor and roof, of the vibrating stirrups on the sides of the car and the transverse notched sills supported by said-stirrups and sustaining the said sections, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, Wi th a stock-car and its hinged sections C, forming a second floor at each side of the door-posts, of the intermedi ate sections J, formed of hinged sub-sections, the guide-rods G, the beams H, extending across the door, and the transverse sills D',

substantially as specified. l 

